Pope Leo urges young people to use AI for good
The first American pope got a rave reception at the Mass in St Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, posing for selfies to roars from crowds, as hundreds held their phones above their heads to film it.
Speaking in a mix of English, Spanish and Italian, he warned those gathered to reject the 'frivolity' of fake news and online encounters, urging young people not to 'count their followers' and instead 'work as agents of communion'.
The Pope said: 'It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts. We have a duty to work together to develop a way of thinking, to develop a language, of our time, that gives voice to love.'
Luis Antonio Tagle, the prominent Filipino cardinal who presided over the service, emphasised that everyone is an influencer in God's eyes. 'Daily life is a tapestry of crisscrossing influences,' he said.
The rare encounter was part of a jubilee for young people that will culminate with a vigil and a Mass in a field on the outskirts of Rome. The biggest event of the Vatican's Holy Year, the weeklong celebration was expected to draw half a million young people in an influx likely to push the Eternal City's creaky public transport to its limits.
Leo's words contrasted with those of Francis, who approved the publication of a 13,000-word document in January, three months before his death, claiming AI contained 'the shadow of evil' and could 'enslave' workers by limiting them to 'rigid and repetitive tasks'.
• Cardinals attack Pope's liberal legacy in pre-conclave talks
Even so, Leo's address also contained a warning: 'Nothing that comes from man and his creativity should be used to undermine the dignity of others,' he said.
At the end of the Mass, the Pope called for an end to world conflicts, saying 'how much we need peace in these times torn apart by enmity and war'.
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